Increasing dye fastness of solvent dyed solvent scoured dried fabric by steaming

ABSTRACT

An improved process for dyeing textile fabrics from halogenated hydrocarbon solvents which comprises the steps of dyeing, fixing the dyestuff, scouring the dyed textile, removing scour liquor and subsequently subjecting the dyed textile to an atmosphere of steam, preferably superheated steam, under conditions to prevent condensation of any moisture onto or into the emerging textile, thereby to increase the light fastness and wash fastness of the dyed fabric.

United States Patent 91 Dawson et a1.

1 Apr. 16, 1974 [75] Inventors: Ross R. Dawson; William H.

Leyking, both of Buffalo, NY.

[73] Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company,

Midland, Mich.

[22] Filed: Nov. 18, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 877,828

521 US. Cl 8/165, 8/94, 8/1491,

51 Int. Cl D06p 5/02 [58] Field of Search 8/94, 174, 175

[56] I I ReferencesCit ed UNITED sTAT s PATENTS 1,844,204 2/1932 Clavel 8/131 2,184,559 12/1939 Mellor 8/174 1,738,946 12/1929 Chapin.., 8/1493 2,999,002 9/1961 Dayvault 8/94 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATIONS 535,379 4/1941 Great Britain .l 8/1301 823,022 11/1959 Great Britain 68/22 A OTHER PUBLICATIONS Hunter, Amer. Dyestuff Reporter, April 12, 1954, pages 236-238.

White, Amer. Dyestuff Reporter, July 31, 1967, pages 5 9 1 -597.

Primary Examiner-Donald Levy Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Glwynn R. Baker [5 7] ABSTRACT An improved process for dyeing textile fabrics from halogenated hydrocarbon solvents which comprises the steps of dyeing, fixing the dyestuff, scouring the dyed textile, removing scour liquor and subsequently subjecting the dyed textile to an atmosphere of steam, preferably superheated steam, under conditions to prevent condensation of any moisture onto or into the emerging textile, thereby to increase the light fastness and wash fastness of the dyed fabric.

3 Claims, No Drawings INCREASING DYE FASTNESS OF SOLVENT DYED SOLVENT SCOURED DRIED FABRIC BY STEAMING BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Recently a process has been publicized for solvent dyeing textile materials, woven or unwoven. The process permits rapid dyeing because much less heat is required to remove the dye formulation carrier than when water is employed. However, it has been noticed that some thusly dyed materials are off-color or change hue when exposed to light and/or are washed with detergent. It has been advanced that even though the temperature achieved is high enough and the textile is exposed long enough to such temperatures to fix the dyestuff a phenomenon occurs which affects the degree of aggregation of dyestuff, which relates to the physical state of the dye molecule in the fiber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION It has now been found that solvent dyed textile mate- DETAILEDDESCRIPTION OF INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a solventdye formulation was prepared by mixing, e.g., 1 gram of Nabor Orange G Base (C.I. Basic Orange 21, Cl.

48035) in 50 ml. of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether dissolved in 450ml. of methylene chloride. The soa prepared dye formulation was padded onto a synthetic fabric woven from a yarn containing 70 percent of a copolymer of vinyl chloride and acrylonitrile, 20 percent of apolyacrylonitrile and 10 percent nylon. The dye wetted fabric waspassed into and through the vapors of perchloroethylene at a rate to insure the fibers were exposed to the vaporsfor 30 seconds to assure fixation of the dyestuff. Thevapors were at a temperature of 120C. (248F.). Any unfixed dye and the unvaporizable glycol ether. were removed by subjecting part of the dyed fabric to scouring in cold perchloroethylene and the remainder to scouring in a 0.2 percent aqueous detergent bath and dried.

The solvent scoured fabric was dried in an atmosphere of superheated vapors of perchloroethylene for three minutes. The aqueous scoured fabric took 30 minutes to dry on a heated surface at the 158F. (C)

The solvent scoured textile fabric had a decided red-' dish shade and was less light fast compared to the aqueous detergent scoured fabric. A portion of the solvent scoured fabric was then subjected to a three-minute treatment in superheated steam at 120C. (248F.). The shade of the so-steamed fabric was identical to that of the aqueous detergent scoured fabric and fastness was equal.

It is thus seen that the solvent dyeing process can employ a solvent scour and a dry steaming to accomplish the same result obtained by aqueous scouring insofar as light fastness and wash fastness (no change in shade when exposed to water or moisture) are concerned in a much shorter period of time than could be accomplished by use of the heretofore advanced and widely used aqueous scour.

We claim:

I. In a method for improving the light fastness and wash fastness of solvent dyed textiles wherein the dye stuff is applied from a solution or dispersion of the dyestuff in a halogenated hydrocarbon solvent to'the tex tile, the resulting wet textile is subjected to the effect of superheated vapors of a halogenated hydrocarbon solvent maintained at a temperature to fix the dyestuff such conditions that no steam condenses on the fabric.

2. The method of claim. 1 wherein the steam is at a temperature of from about to about C. and the textile is exposed to the steam for from I to 3 minutes. a a I I 3. The method of claim 2 wherein thesteam issuperheated steam.

III l l! its light 

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the steam is at a temperature of from about 110* to about 120*C. and the textile is exposed to the steam for from 1 to 3 minutes.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the steam is superheated steam. 